Special Education Needs Policy

Beliefs & Principles: The Special Education Needs service is designed to ensure that all pupils achieve basic literacy and numeracy skills by the time they complete their primary education through effective whole school policies in a team approach involving pupils, class teachers, learning support and resource teachers, principal and parents.

SEN Support

The spectrum of pupils with SEN ranges from under achieving pupils to high achievers. A range of assessment methods are used to ensure that pupils who require intervention receive it.

The Continuum of Support identifies different levels of support for pupils with SEN that build on each other. There are 3 stages in this process.

Stage 1 is the Classroom Support level and involves the teacher, parent and pupil.

Stage 2 is the School Support level and involves the teacher, parent, pupil and Learning Support Teacher.

Stage 3 is the School Support Plus level and involves the teacher, parent , pupil, Educational Psychologist, other professionals, Learning Support Teacher or Resource Teacher Support

Provide supplementary teaching in English and Maths for low achieving pupils especially those on or below the 12th percentile in ‘Micra-T’/Drumcondra English Screening tests and ‘Sigma-T’ Maths Screening Tests.

Provide early intervention to pupils at risk in junior classes in English and Maths.

Develop self-esteem and positive attitudes about school and learning in these pupils.

Review pupil progress at the end of each instructional period e.g. February/June.

Consult with class teacher and parents when supplementary teaching is to be discontinued and identify ways in which pupil’s learning can be supported in class or at home.

IPLP Guidelines:

The LST (Learning Support Teacher) is responsible for drawing up an IPLP (Individual Profile and Learning Programme) for each pupil in the group.

IPLPs are developed in consultation with the class teacher and parents for pupils receiving supplementary teaching. The IPLP will have the pupils name, class teacher, LST as well as the date on which the pupil first joined the supplementary teaching programme.

The second part is used to record information obtained through screening and diagnostic assessment. Additional information from parents, pupils themselves, the class teacher or other professionals is also recorded before planning the IPLP.

Following the completion of the assessment/information sections the pupils strengths/attainments and priority learning needs can be stated. Learning targets are now set for the specific period of time and the date on which the pupil is considered to have achieved a particular target is noted under “Date Achieved”.

Internal Provisions: Prevention Strategies:

Early Intervention:

We identify pupils at risk in Junior Infants each June through consultation with class teachers and through the use of MIST (Middle Infants Screening Sub-tests) e.g. listening skills and initial letter sounds/writing skills. The MIST programme is used to identify learning targets for supplementary teaching in Senior Infants and First classes.

Reading Supports:

Literacy Lift-Off

The Literacy Lift-Off Programme was initiated in the 2012/13 school year. This is an intervention in which each class will engage in a six week intensive reading programme.

It is a daily literacy session where resource teachers in collaboration with class teachers will work in the classroom each morning from Monday to Thursday for six week in five eight minute rotating sessions on a range of literacy activities.

All pupils are assessed before the intervention to establish their Instructional Level and Reading (entry score). They are then grouped according to their reading ability. The school uses specially graded PM+

Readers which are also read at home with a parent. At the end of the programme pupils are re-assessed to establish their new levels of literacy (exit score).

Paired Reading advice leaflets and Home Reading Library lists are used in junior classes.

Library Books:

Each class has its own individual library

Oxford Literacy Web, Story Rhyme Books are used in Jnr./Snr. Infant classes to develop phonological/rhyme awareness

Jolly Phonics Programme: Jolly Phonics is used in our school as a thorough foundation for reading and writing. Children learn the 42 letter sounds of the English Language. They are then taken through the steps of blending and segmenting words to develop reading and writing skills. The programme continues through the school enabling the teaching of essential grammar.

Resource teachers are appointed to “meet the needs and abilities of children assessed as having disabilities” and “to provide additional teaching support for these children who have been fully integrated into mainstream schools”. (DES 8/99)

The advent of Resource Teaching reflects the movement of children across the spectrum of education, from isolation and exclusion to acceptance and integration.

The nature and extent of disabilities which entitle pupils to resource hours is very broad so the age and ability differences of those attending is also broad. Consequently, individual work is very important.

It is important therefore, that time with a resource teacher is positive and successful. Time is needed for the pupil and teacher to get to know each other. The child must learn to trust another adult and get to know a new environment. He must learn a new timetable and a new way of relating to a teacher.

That teacher must make the child feel that attending resourcesessions is not another sign of failure, rather that it is recognition that the child has a potential that can be developed.

It is also important that the resource teacher has as much information as possible about the child. This involves interviews with parents, pupils and teachers, as well as extensive data collection from teachers.

The child’s medical history may be relevant to the resource teacher. Extended absences from school affect performance. It is also useful to know if the child has stress related problems such as asthma or psoriasis. Domestic situations such as bereavements and separations can affect learning.

Success at school builds esteem, confidence and self-belief. The objective of resource teaching is to provide the experience of that success.

A child already in school, who is showing signs of needing extra resources, is referred to NEPS, as already outlined. On completion of this assessment, the Dept. SENO will allocate a set number of hours of Resource Teaching for the child.

A child assessed by an agency other than NEPS e.g. Southern Health Board Speech & Language Therapist, will be referred directly to the SENO by the school, for approval for Resource Teaching hours.

A child commencing school who has already been assessed as having special needs will be referred to the SENO for approval for Resource Teaching hours.

Assessments in the school are carried out by Orla Griffin, an appointed psychologist from NEPS.

Generally, children referred to NEPS fall into specific categories:-

Visual/Hearing Impairment/Physical Disability

Mild General Learning Disability – the pupil cannot keep up with large amounts of class work

Emotional Disturbance – This includes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It could also refer to children exhibiting high levels of anger and aggression. It may also refer to boys who seem sad or depressed

Autism/Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This is a complicated disorder but within school, some of the warning signs would be poor social interaction with peers, resistance to change, odd but well developed language, good rote memory, poor motor co-ordination, lack of imagination in play, fixation on certain topics

Specific Learning Disability – Pupil copes overall but has difficulty in one or more areas e.g. Literacy & Maths if the child is dyslexic. This is a very basic guide to the criteria for referring to NEPS. Children can have symptoms of any of the above and function normally. If the symptoms interfere with school work, then there may be cause for concern.

If in the opinion of the teacher any child would benefit from a referral to NEPS, the principal must be informed in writing giving the following information:-

When referrals are received, they are prioritised by the Principal in consultation with class teachers. The principal then meets with the parents of those pupils prioritised and outlines the situation to them.